The Lusail International Circuit in Qatar will host the first grand prix of the 75th season of the blue riband series in motorcycle racing on March 8-10, with Pirelli making its racing debut as the official and exclusive tire supplier for the Moto2 and Moto3 classes.
Pirelli will make its range of Diablo Superbike slick and Diablo Rain wet tires available to both classes. The standard allocation for the 2024 season includes the slick tires at the front in SC1 (soft) and SC2 (medium) compounds for both classes; and at the rear in SC0 (soft) and SC1 (medium) compounds for Moto2, and SC1 and SC2 for Moto3.
The rain wet solution in SCR1 compound is available for both the front and rear. For the Qatar Grand Prix, the Moto3 riders will also have a development rear compound in C1096 specification, a harder solution than the others which Pirelli says could prove invaluable if the asphalt is severe.
Lusail is a circuit of various terrains, as Giorgio Barbier, motorcycle racing director at Pirelli, explained: “[It is] a very fast track with the longest straight among the circuits on the World Championship calendar. The temperature range between the sessions at the start and end of the day and, above all, the sand that is often deposited on the track by the wind, always have a significant impact on tire wear and imply greater difficulty in managing pressures. The sand makes the asphalt very slippery, and this often results in graining and accentuated thermal degradation.
“Last year the circuit was completely resurfaced: this is certainly the main unknown for us. We are aware that the new asphalt is quite aggressive with the tires, the riders have already raced here in 2023 but not in this period of the year, therefore the data available to us is limited. In any case, the tests carried out in Valencia and Jerez returned very positive feedback so we are confident that we can have a good season.”
